BWW Reviews: MY SON PINOCCHIO at Music Theatre Wichita

Disney's My Son Pinocchio is an enchanting little evening. Simple, soft and sweet, Pinocchio has lovely melodies by Stephen Schwartz, book by David I. Stern and direction by Wayne Bryan.

Based on the classic tale and Disney movie, Stephen Schwartz added his own flavor to bring the story to the stage. Keeping a few songs from the movie, Schwartz wrote a score to augment the production. Do not attend My Son Pinocchio expecting to see the movie you grew up with. My Son Pinocchio is very different; the absence of Jiminy Cricket for instance. It is a stand-alone piece and Schwartz himself attended the MTW opening night.

The production could have used one extra rehearsal to polish the performances, but as a whole every element was strong and sound. The sets, designed by J Branson, had a folksy village charm to them. The ensemble was particularly fun, especially the children. The choreography, by Amy Baker Schwiethale, was visually stunning as well as helped further the plot and develop character. Especially magical was the Pleasure Island Ringleader, Avery Smith, and his Roustabouts, Kyle McClellan and Kevin Nietzel. The vibe was reminiscent of the Manson trio from Pippin (another Stephen Schwartz creation). Steve Hitchcock was spot-on as Professor Buonragazzo, and the consistently strong Shaun-Michael Morse was a delight as Stromboli, but it was very difficult to understand him. His rapid fire lyrics got lost. Audience favorite was Emily Vargo as the feisty Blue Fairy and Katie Barna as Sue, her misfit fairy-in-training.

Up next at MTW is Billy Elliott July 8- 12. Billy Elliot is rated PG-13 for strong language. For tickets visit www.mtwichita.org